It wasn't too long ago that the football team's season finale seemed full of implications. In front of a packed Wallace Wade crowd, both teams would be playing for bowl berths and winning seasons. Such a game hasn't taken place in Durham in four years.
That is, four and counting.
After embarrassing losses to Vanderbilt and Maryland, Duke (4-6, 2-5 in the ACC) hosts rival North Carolina (4-5, 3-3) at noon tomorrow. While the Tar Heels are still looking to redeem a somewhat disappointing season with a late bowl surge, the Blue Devils hope to avoid a three-game skid that could end a year that was so full of promise just three weeks ago.
"I can't speak for everyone, but with the bowls and everything else out of the picture, it all comes down to personal pride," nose guard Eric Scanlan said. "I hope enough guys feel that way. The way it stands now, we have two choices-we can either lay down and die or we can stand up and fight."
The question remains how much fight Duke will have left after its loss to Maryland. Instead of having the opportunity to extend the season another month, the Blue Devils now seek to avoid the bitter taste of a three-game losing streak heading into the offseason.
"This [42-25 loss to Maryland] shook our confidence some," coach Fred Goldsmith said. "We were on the brink of achieving our goals, that's why it is so frustrating. No excuses. We just didn't do it. We flat didn't do it."
Despite throwing a record seven interceptions against the Terrapins, Bobby Campbell returns as the starter at quarterback. Goldsmith and his players have expressed confidence in Campbell and his ability to get the job done.
Confidence in the quarterback spot has been an ongoing problem over in Chapel Hill. First-year coach Carl Torbush recently named senior Oscar Davenport as his starter for the rest of the season, relegating freshman Ronald Curry to the bench. Davenport has struggled with only three touchdown passes in his five starts.
His favorite target, senior Na Brown, needs just two receptions to break the all-time mark at UNC. Brown has three 100-yard receiving games in '98, and much like Duke's Scottie Montgomery and Richmond Flowers, has been overshadowed by the likes of Torry Holt and Peter Warrick.
"I don't think there's any doubt that Na Brown is the most underrated player on our team and most likely in the entire ACC," Torbush said. "He has the surest hands of any player I have ever coached and probably coached against. This year, he has taken his game to another level."
While Brown's game has risen a level, the UNC defense has slid down at least a few notches. After losing seven starters from a unit ranked second in the nation a year ago, the Tar Heels have fallen from allowing around 200 yards per game to surrendering just over 350.
Still, linebackers Keith Newman and Brandon Spoon are ranked first and second in the league in tackles. And there's always Dré Bly.
"Dré Bly is still the premier defensive threat at cornerback in the ACC," Torbush said. "He has taken some heat this year because of some plays that he has allowed, but he spoiled us his first two years when it seemed like he never got beat."
Despite the presence of Bly and UNC's still-respectable level of talent, Duke feels the playing field is much more level in a rivalry that has tilted toward the Tar Heels this entire decade.
"Probably we've been outmanned in most of those battles," Goldsmith said. "Our players have prepared and played at a very high level for this football game. That's what I've grown to expect."
The rivalry might be the Blue Devils' primary incentive. The Tar Heels are still playing for a winning season, albeit one that's a far-cry from last year's 11-1 mark.
Duke is just trying to earn respect from an opponent the Blue Devils have fallen to eight straight times. Last season, Duke scored the first two touchdowns only to watch UNC rally for 50 unanswered points.
"We're really trying to get ourselves focused to go out and have a good game and end the season right," fullback Dawud Rasheed said. "Playing Carolina, we all know what it means. It's not a game that takes a lot to get fired up for."
And it is this game that will stick in Duke's mind until spring practice. A win could help salvage the season and ease the Halloween nightmare in Nashville and the Maryland debacle.
A loss would only exacerbate the bitter feeling.
"If you can't get up to play Carolina, there's no need to play football," Montgomery said. "And we won't come out flat. I'll make sure we won't come out flat.
"I think it's imperative for us to win this game. It can put a lot of bad thoughts into guys' heads going into the offseason. You always want to finish on a strong note. If we lose this game, it's going to be real hard for guys to come back and get ready [for next] football season."
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